Samwise Gamgee clutched the pan he was holding, striking an orc solidly
across the skull as it rushed at him, his brow covered with sweat that
dripped into his eyes. "I think I'm getting the hang of this," he muttered
to himself, and turned just in time to see another orc advancing and to
knock that one out as well.

He glanced around quickly. Orcs were falling left and right, and yet more
still swarmed into the doors, providing more foes to fight. Sam searched
the room for his allies, rather than enemies. The first person he saw was
Legolas, shooting arrows madly. He spotted Gandalf fighting on the other
end of the room. Not far away, Gimli was wielding his axe and letting out
low screams of challenge to their enemies. Aragorn was the furthest away,
his sword swinging so fast that Sam had trouble tracking it. He spotted
Boromir as well, but that was not who he was looking for.

/Where is Mr. Frodo?/ He thought nervously, looking about the small room,
searching for the hobbit he had promised to stay with no matter what. He
did not spot him nearby, so he looked up to the level above him. The great
creature, a cave troll he thought Boromir had called it, was a ways down
from him, looking for something.

Sam turned and scurried out of the way of an orc blade, bringing his foe
down, and then turned back to where he had been looking before, continuing
his search. There! Frodo Baggins scurried around a supporting pole, as
the cave troll looked around the other side. Then he disappeared from view
as the cave troll pulled back to look where he had previously been.

Sam felt his heart beating madly as he saw the cave troll suddenly spot his
master, and roar at the small hobbit, causing Frodo to fall to the ground
in fear and scurry back. The troll reached out and grabbed one of the
hobbit's ankles, dragging him back.

Sam couldn't seem to find his voice, but his feet still worked, and he
started to run towards the troll desperately, but was intercepted by an
orc. "Frodo!" He called wildly, but his scream was caught up in the other
sounds of battle and went unheard.

"Aragorn!!!" Frodo screamed, and swung his sword at the offending hand of
the troll. The beast dropped him with a cry of pain, and Frodo struck the
ground below, hard.

Aragorn heard the cry of the hobbit, and turned, fighting his way towards
the troll, and jabbing it in the chest with a spear. The troll cried out,
and knocked Aragorn aside easily, who struck a pole and was knocked out.

Frodo dashed to the human's side, shaking him desperately, but Aragorn was
beyond his reach at the moment. The troll advanced, and Frodo ducked as it
swung at him.

Sam knocked the orc aside, his fear rising. He had to get to Frodo. He
started for the hobbit, watching with wide frightened eyes, wanting to save
him but somehow knowing he wouldn't get there in time.

Frodo turned to run, but the troll stopped him, blocking his escape route.
Frodo looked wide-eyed at the beast and scurried backwards. The troll
cried out, a call of triumph as it knew it had the hobbit cornered, and
then stepped forwards, throwing the blade of it's weapon into the hobbit's
midsection.

The metal disappeared in the skin of the small being, the cloth covering
the wound as Frodo gasped in pain, his eyes going even wider in his agony.
Above him, Merry and Pippin angrily threw themselves at the troll, stabbing
at it again and again. The troll screamed in pain and pulled away from
Frodo, reaching for the offending youths.

"Frodo!!!!" Sam screamed, tears coming unbidden to his eyes. Frodo did
not seem to hear, though, gasping frantically for air, each exhalation
labored, his face contorted in pain, his eyes staring forward but not
really focusing on anything. He gave a half-cry, and suddenly, nothing
could hold him up, and he pitched forward, the blade falling to the side of
his body as it was drawn out by the angle of his tumble.

Legolas shot the troll in the throat as it screamed, bringing it down once
and for all, but Sam wasn't paying attention as he started towards his
friend. Aragorn had come to, and he made his way to the fallen hobbit's
side. "Oh no," he whispered, hesitantly reaching for the small limp body
and gently turning Frodo over, towards him.

Frodo coughed violently and gasped. Where he had lain before, there was a
pool of blood, dark against the stone of the floor. Frodo's clothes were
soaked red, and the wound as still bleeding profusely. The hobbit looked
up at Aragorn, grimacing once. "Is it dead?" He asked softly, so softly
Sam could barely hear from where he was, his limbs seeming to be made of
stone as he made his way over.

Aragorn nodded, his eyes glistening in the dim light. "Yes, Frodo.
Legolas killed it." He assured the smaller being, laying a hand near the
wound, and turning a quick gaze to Gandalf, who stood nearby, and shaking
his head ever-so-slightly.

"Good," Frodo murmured, and then stiffened in pain, moaning softly, not
seeming to have the energy for anything more. "Sam." He whispered, his
eyes shutting for a moment as he quivered, then snapping open. "Where is
Sam?" He demanded, gripping Aragorn's arm.

Aragorn looked up to Sam, his eyes filled with deep sadness. Sam hurried
to Frodo's side, falling to his knees and clasping the hobbit's other hand.
"Here, Mr. Frodo. I'm here," he assured the older hobbit.

Frodo smiled tiredly up at his friend, clutching his hand desperately.
"Sam," he gasped out, "Do you remember when Bilbo used to tell us of his
adventures and the things he acquired along the way?" He whispered. Sam
nodded in response, wondering what Frodo was getting to. "Do you remember
how he told us of his mithril coat? The one that was as hard as dragon
scales?" He asked. Sam nodded again. "I wish I'd had it." Frodo smirked
slightly, and coughed, clenching his hand around Sam's, his eyes shutting
against the pain.

Sam remembered all right. He had never tired of Bilbo's stories.no hobbit
child did. Maybe if Bilbo had been at Rivendell when they had taken Frodo
there to be healed, maybe Bilbo would have given it to Frodo, and the
hobbit wouldn't be dying now.

Unfortunately, Bilbo had set off to see the lonely mountain one last time,
and so he had not been there when they arrived. And pondering the maybes
wouldn't help anything. Sam felt a tear running down his cheek as Frodo
gasped for air.

"Yes, Mr. Frodo," Sam forced out past the tears to his friend, leaning
closer as it became apparent that Frodo wanted him to.

Frodo drew his free hand to his neck slowly, gasping at the pain it cause
him, and drew off the necklace that the one ring hung from. He looked at
Sam, his face set at what he was about to do. "Sam," he whispered, "you
must take the ring. You are the only one I can really trust with it. The
others." He trailed off, gasping, "I am afraid the others might give in to
its power. You must take it and destroy it, Sam." Again, Frodo trailed
off, and stiffened, his body going ramrod straight as pain lanced threw
him, and he moaned. Sam clutched his master's hand harder. "Don't let it
out of your possession, Sam.it must be destroyed. Promise me!' Frodo
finished desperately as he pulled Sam's other hand to him and wrapped the
hobbit's fingers around the ring.

Sam could barely see Frodo as he blinked against the tears, his cheeks
soaked. "I promise, Mr. Frodo. I promise." He whispered.

Frodo smiled softly up at him, his eyes softening as a burden seemed to be
lifted from him. "Thank you, Sam." He said softly, and then closed his
eyes, fighting the pain. Sam held onto Frodo's hand desperately, wiping a
hand across Frodo's brow to remove the sweat, soothing the hobbit whenever
he cried out quietly at the pain. Both knew he was dying, and Sam knew
there was nothing he could do but make Frodo as comfortable as he could.

Around the pair, the Fellowship stood silently, reverently, watching the
death of Frodo Baggins, but knowing better than to interrupt. Frodo had
asked for Sam, and it was obvious he was taking comfort in the halfling's
presence during his last moments, and so they remained quiet and still.

Frodo clenched Sam's hand to himself. "It hurts Sam, it hurts." He
moaned, tears coming from his eyes as more precious blood poured out of his
body.

Frodo nodded, and clenched his eyes shut in pain. Sam cried harder,
wishing there were more he could do. "Sam," Frodo whispered, so soft Sam
barely heard it, "I am glad you came with me." He smiled at his fellow
hobbit.

Sam smiled back, "I have never regretted it, Mister Frodo." He told the
dying hobbit. "I have never regretted it." Frodo's smile at Sam's reply
was pained but genuine, and then he shuddered once more, clutching at his
dear friend's hand, and went slack. Sam knew in a moment that Frodo
Baggins of the Shire was dead, and his head dropped as he sobbed softly.

Aragorn watched Sam cry, his face drawn, knowing nothing he could say would
make the hobbit feel better. He listened to Legolas' mournful words,
pondering the meaning. He stood, looking to Gandalf, and then turned his
gaze sympathetically to Sam. "We must move on. There are more orcs on the
way."

Sam did not move from the floor, his head bowed, tears dripping onto the
stone floor to mix with Frodo's blood, not moving from his cold master's
body. "Come, Sam." Gandalf asked softly, but again, Sam did not so much
as twitch. Merry and Pippin stood nearby, tears running down their faces,
Merry trying to quietly comfort Pip.

"Please, Sam." Aragorn asked, trying to pull Sam from Frodo's body. Sam
gave a cry of anger and clutched harder at Frodo. "Sam, we can't stay
here!" Sam made no response, however.

Legolas walked up behind Aragorn and placed a hand on his shoulder.
Aragorn looked up at the elf, who shook his head softly and started towards
Sam. Aragorn looked back to Gandalf, who said very softly, so as no one
else would hear, "He will not leave Frodo's body, and we cannot fight him
on it. We must bring it with us." Aragorn nodded his understanding, and
walked over to where Legolas was gently pulling Sam from Frodo. Sam was
protesting, but calmed when Legolas began explaining ever so softly that
they were bringing Frodo along. Aragorn kneeled down and gathered the
lifeless hobbit into his arms, standing and making his way to the door
without a word.

Legolas stood, gently trying to get Sam to get to his feet, but the hobbit
would not move. Boromir gave a soft sigh and walked forward, picking up
Sam and nodding to the door. "Let's go." He said softly. Sam didn't move
or protest as grief was pushed away for flight, the fellowship running for
their lives.

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